16 May 2025
Some details that show these are scams.
- These are not an IR email address.
- We usually address you by name.
- We do not provide links in our emails.
- These links do not go to our website.
- The formatting is inconsistent.
11 March 2025
Some details that show this is a scam.
- We will not send you links in text messages.
- We do not send messages from a 'MyIR Team'.
18 November 2024
Some details that show this is a scam.
- Senders are not using Inland Revenue email addresses.
- There's no greeting to the user or customer.
- We are not called the Inland Revenue Agency.
18 November 2024
Some details that show this is a scam.
- Senders are not using Inland Revenue email addresses.
- There are unusual subject lines.
- The amount of the refund is mentioned in the body of the email. We do not do this.
11 October 2024
We've seen an increase in websites doing fake Inland Revenue (IRD) Number applications.
These websites offer to help you get a IRD number for money. Instead of giving you an IRD number, these websites steal your payment and your personal information.
These scams often advertise on Google and social media platforms like X (Twitter), Facebook and Instagram.
We will never make you pay to apply for an IRD number. You can find out how to apply on our website.
Remember to never give out your personal information unless you're sure of who you're dealing with. Run it past someone you trust to help you check, or if you are still unsure, please contact us/
12 April 2024
Some details that show these are scams.
- Senders are not using Inland Revenue email addresses.
- Links do not go to ‘ird.govt.nz’
- When emailing about myIR we use ‘Do Not Reply’ in the subject line.
19 January 2024
Details that show this is a scam.
- This is not an IR email address.
- We usually address you by name.
- We do not provide links in our emails.
- The link does not go to our website.
- We do not ask you to process payments.
- At the time of this scam, we are not issuing any more Cost of Living payments.
01 November 2023
Some details that show this is a scam.
- This is not one of our emails.
- When we email you, we will include your name or myIR username.
- We do not include attachments in emails.
17 October 2023
Details that show that this is a scam.
- This is not an IR email address.
- We don't provide links in or emails.
- The links do not go to our website.
- We do not include your email address in the footer of the email. We will call you by your name and your myIR username.
- We don't ask you to unsubscribe if you have received an email in error.
19 September 2023
Details that show this is a scam:
- This is not an IR phone number. We don't send messages from regular phone numbers like this one. Instead, you'll get a text message from a 4-digit code.
- We always introduce ourselves in the body of our messages, usually with 'Hi IRD here'. We won't use '{IRD}'
- This link does not go to our website.
07 September 2023
Some details that show this is a scam.
- We do not include forms in emails.
- We do not put refund amounts in emails.
- Our emails do not include ‘Message IDs’.
We'll post the latest scams here.
These examples may help you learn what an Inland Revenue scam looks like.
13 July 2023
Details that show this is a scam:
- This did not come from a Te Tari Taake Inland Revenue phone number.
- The link does not go to our website ird.govt.nz
- The only place we will ever ask you to check a refund online is in myIR.
23 June 2023
Details that show this is a scam:
- This did not come from a Te Tari Taake Inland Revenue phone number.
- The link does not go to our website ird.govt.nz
- The grammar is poor.
6 June 2023
Details that show this is a scam:
- This does not show our website address - our website is ird.govt.nz
- We do not send text messages from regular phone numbers like the one in this picture. Instead, you'll get a text message from a 4-digit code.
29 May 2023
Details that show this is a scam:
- There are a lot of typos and grammatical errors.
- The website linked is not ours. We will only ever tell you to go ird.govt.nz
29 May 2023
Details that show this is a scam:
- This did not come from a Te Tari Taake Inland Revenue phone number. We also do not contact you from Australia.
- The link does not go to our website ird.govt.nz
- We do not put refund amounts in emails.
29 May 2023
Details that show this is a scam:
- This did not come from a Te Tari Taake Inland Revenue phone number.
- The link does not go to our website ird.govt.nz
15 May 2023
Details that show this is a scam:
- It is not sent from our email address.
- We do not put refund amounts in emails.
- The email address linked is not ours. Do not click on the link.
20 April 2023
Details that show this is a scam:
- We do not do incoming tax refund payments.
- We do not give direct hyperlinks to myIR in emails.
14 April 2023
Details that show this is a scam:
- We do not do incoming tax refund payments.
- Our tax year is not from 12 March to 30 April.
- We do not use the term 'PS'.
- We do not ask you to verify your identity through your bank.
- We do not give direct hyperlinks to myIR in emails.
12 April 2023
Details that show this is a scam:
- There is a link supposedly to claim your refund.
- We do not ask you to claim refunds.
- Our links will always end in govt.nz
24 March 2023
Details that show this is a scam:
- We do not have an Instagram account.
- Department is spelled wrong.
- We will never direct message (DM) you.
20 January 2023
Details that show this is a scam:
- it is not sent from our email address.
You should not click on any links in this email.
17 January 2023
Details that show this is a scam:
- It is not sent from our email address.
- The link does not go to our website. Do not click on the link.
16 January 2023
Details that show this is a scam:
- We do not give direct hyperlinks to myIR in emails. Instead, we’d ask you to log in to myIR through ird.govt.nz.
- The link does not go to our website. Do not click on the link.
16 January 2023
Details that show this is a scam:
- It is not sent from our email address.
- It does not have our logo.
- It does not say the refund is from us.
- We do not put refund amounts in emails.
- We do not say ‘NZD’.
- The hyperlink does not go to our website. Do not click on the link.
- The signoff at the end (‘The govt.nz Team’) is not us.
22 December 2022
Details that show this is a scam.
- It's not from an Inland Revenue email address.
- We do not put refund amounts in emails.
- We do not say 'NZD'.
- The contact details are wrong.
- There are grammar, spacing and punctuation mistakes.
- There's a hyperlink to a form at 'form.jotform.com' - this is not our website, and we do not give you direct links within emails.
16 November 2022
Details that show this is a scam:
- It's not from an Inland Revenue email address.
- We do not put refund amounts in emails.
- We do not say 'NZD'.
- The contact details are wrong.
- There are grammar, spacing and punctuation mistakes.
- There's a hyperlink to a form at 'form.jotform.com' - this is not our website, and we do not give you direct links within emails. Instead, we'd ask you to log in to myIR through our website ird.govt.nz
11 November 2022
We have seen an increase in scammers cold-calling business customers. The scammers pretend to be from real businesses and offer savings of up to 50% on tax bills (including small business loans). They may say they are offering discounts because they have vouchers which are about to expire.
The scammer pays the tax bill to us in full and the victim pays the discounted amount to the scammer. Meanwhile, the scammer cancels the payment to us, leaving the victims out of pocket and with a tax bill to pay.
The scammers are using several names including Discount Club/Wel Network/Wel Network Marketing. We will never contact businesses to offer ‘discounts’ on your tax debt. If you cannot pay your tax debt, get in touch with us to talk about your options.
17 October 2022
Details that show this is a scam:
- There's a link supposedly to confirm your return - we'd ask you to log in to myIR through ird.govt.nz
- We do not call ourselves 'New Zealand Taxation Office'.
- Our links will always end in govt.nz
- We will never ask you to make a payment to confirm your card number.
14 October 2022
Details that show this is a scam:
- It's not from an Inland Revenue email address.
- There's a link supposedly to myIR - we do not give direct links in emails. Instead, we'd ask you to log in to myIR through ird.govt.nz
